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Chiang Mai native Chef Setalat Prasert ofSpicy Shallot breaks down this amazing Thai favorite
ByHunter Lu
Fiery, herbaceous, tart, and savory, nam prik is a chili sauce that’s absolutely beloved throughout Thailand. With more than a dozen varieties, this hot sauce and dip is enjoyed with everything from raw and steamed vegetables to grilled meats or fish. While the dip is traditionally prepared in a mortar and pestle (or a Thai krok), modern cooks often use a blender or food processor to make this vibrant chili dip.
Contents
- Nam prik num recipe
- Nam prik kha recipe
To guide us through this Thai delicacy is Chiang Mai native Chef Setalat “George” Prasert ofSpicy Shallot. Spicy Shallot, located in Elmhurst, Queens, on a three-block stretch of Woodside Avenue named Little Thailand Way, serves a unique blend of Thai cuisine and Japanese sushi. The restaurant is also a showcase of Prasert’s favorite — nam prik kha.
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“My mother taught me how to make nam prik kha from galangal, chilis, and garlic,” said Prasert. “We’d eat it every week with steamed vegetables and sticky rice. At Spicy Shallot, I serve it with grilled ribeye or short ribs.”
At Spicy Shallot, a great way to sample the spicy food staple that is nam prik is in the Hors d’Oeuvres Muang, a northern Thai-style appetizer plate with tomato and pork nam prik ong and roasted green chili nam prik num. All of it is accompanied by pork rinds, vegetables, and a Vietnamese-style pork loaf, a popular dipping ingredient for nam prik.
Nam prik num recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 large, long, hot green chilis
- 4 whole, very small shallots, unpeeled
- 5 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons Thai shrimp paste
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro, including the stems
- Kosher salt
Method:
- Place chilis, shallots, and garlic in a preheated cast iron pan.
- Place under a broiler at high temp and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally until uniformly charred.
- Transfer cooked vegetables in a covered bowl and let sit 10 minutes.
- While the veggies are cooling, toast shrimp paste in broiler on heavy-duty foil until aromatic, about a minute or so.
- Remove skin from vegetables and add to krok along with cilantro, shrimp paste, and a pinch of salt. Pound into a rough paste.
- Stir in lime juice.
- Nam prik num will stay fresh for up to a week if refrigerated in an air-tight container. Serve with steamed and fresh vegetables for dipping, pork rinds, etc.
Nam prik kha recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 dried chili, preferably bird’s eye
- 10 garlic cloves
- 3 very small shallots, unpeeled
- Thumb-sized piece of fresh galangal, finely sliced. Frozen sliced galangal is available in many Chinese supermarkets and may be substituted.
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
Method:
- Roast chili, garlic, and galangal in a pan over medium-high heat until fragrant.
- In a krok, pound the chilis and salt until thoroughly mixed, then transfer to a bowl.
- Add galangal to krok and pound into a paste, then place into a bowl.
- Add garlic to krok and pound into a paste.
- Add fish sauce, chili, and galangal to garlic and pound all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
- Remove from krok and serve with grilled meats and steamed vegetables for dipping.
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